after I survived my various sports activities for almost 54 years without
fractures and heavy injuries, it has now been my turn - solely thinking in
terms of statistics. Something happened to me I never thought would ever
happen: This will impact my life over the next months and maybe even years.

Why don´t you take a look at the hole story below!

Direct links´to recent Updates:

30 Dec 2004: This is how it all started -->click
22 Jan 2005: Seasonal ticket of Montafon in Austria -->click
12 Feb 2005: News of the "mummy" -->click08 Mar 2005: Now it´s killing my nerves -->click

23 Mar 2005: New Surgery planned in May-->click17 Apr 2005: Feeing a bit better -->click
03 May 2005: Good news from Augsburg Hospital -->click
14 June 2005: The bones are growing together -->click

This is how it all started
Jürgen and myself were having great fun doing skiing, it was almost
3.30 p.m. and close to finishing when it happened to me:

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Bad luck: it stroke me at a relatively steep place on an ice plate - everything
after then happened in such a way, as I never anticipated: Departure with
mountain rescue team in the Akia (rescue slade), transport into the hospital,
4 hrs of surgery. Now have got a large titanium plate with thick screws in
the upper arm and a 35cm long seam with 26 metal clips. In addition some
nerves were also damaged - this is even worse than the fracture. The whole
thing is called: Humerus Shaft bone fracture with Paralysis Radialis.

After 5 days I escaped from hospital and gratefully accept the help of "Nurse Ulrike"

22 Jan 2005: Seasonal ticket of the Montafon Skiing Area (Austria)Jürgen
and myself had a ticket for skiing during the entire skiing season - just
to avoid queues for getting a daily ticket and to have some additional motivation
for going skiing. I got a refund of this investment - unbelievable in todays
world !

12 Feb 2005: News from the "Mummy"
Today I´m in a good mood, therefore here´s another status report:
Even after 6 weeks I still have to wear the cast. The damages to the nerve
running close to the broken bone seem to be worse than expected. Well, right
hand and brain are still operational!

Now you know why I have to cover up my left hand!!

The real story - this is my left hand:

Looks almost like a German suasage, swollen and very painful. All this
is caused by the injured nerve in the upper arm - hard to believe. If the
cast is removed, my hand makes only one movement: along the force of gravity
downward!!! Since approx. 1 week I am getting some pills which help
much better than the ones I had before. Positive trend ...!!!

My Mercedes has been modified with some high tech cableless device enabling
me to operate it with one arm. Life is much easier now when I am mobile again.
I am also back to work part time.

I modified the keyboard of my Mac to avoid hidding 10 keys at once with
the cast. Works great but in Emails I avoid using capital letters - every
motion of the left arm is painful.

Has anyone ever successfully logged into a PC with the famous 3-finger grip "Ctrl-Alt-Del" with only one hand ??? God I am so happy that I still have my Mac.

8 Mar 2005: Now it´s killing my nerves
How is Bernie doing these days? I can summarize that briefly: Deep sh....!
The current radiograph does not show any growth of the fractured bone (medical:
Callus) and the nerve does not show any reaction. In addition I am still running around like a mummy.
My medical doctors tell me to be patient. At the end of March they
plan additional medical analysis in the hospital of Augsburg which is specilized
on this nerve stuff.

Nevertheless I am still having lots of fun with my friends which helps
me to get over this situation. Below you see an example. Since I am not able
to go to the snow lots of snow is coming to me! We have never had that much
snow for more than 10 years. Last weekend they organized a great apres ski
party in the middle of the city of Friedrichshafen even with deck chairs
and DJ and/or live-musik. Here impressions of it:

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23 Mar 2005: New Surgery planned in May

I know, my story is getting boring. Don´t worry, summer season with
its upcoming events is on the way and I will be happy to report about this
and not about the stupid arm.

This is the result of the medical investigation in Augsburg Hospital on 21
Mar: If no miracle happens, they will do another surgery on 3 May - trying
to fix the nerve and the bone. The positive issue: The nerve surgery will
increse the chances that I will be able to move the hand again from 60 to
95 % - isn´t that great?

You may not believe this: I am looking forward to the surgery, since I have got pain in the
hand again for 1 week and I will be glad, if something happens to improve my situation.
17 Apr 2005: Feeling a bit better

Again almost 4 weeks passed just like nothing - but my situation is sligfhtly
improving. I am fully back to work since 1 April and I got me the new skiing
ticket for the 2006 season already. Just look at the quick reaction of Austrias
Minister of Health: Analogous to the smoking warnings on cigarette packs they
have now issued a skiing warnings for skiing tickets.

"Skiing is dangerous for your health ..... Your medical doctor can help you if you would like to quit skiing ...."
Great achievement. I may have to start collecting stamps now - however, I
would have to start smoking if I did something boring like that.

I also quit running around like a mummy and got this nice plastic cast.

Nerves and bones are still refusing to grow. There is no need to place
an updated x-ray here because there is absolutely no change since 30 Dec.
However, since 8 Apr I am able to move the hand about half an inch - not much but better than zero. Optimism is spreading.

Thanks to ebay, I got myself a home trainer for 9 USD and I am now doing
indoor virtual mountainbike trips in order to be fit when the skiing season
starts - only 6 more months to go.

This would be my favorite project on 3 May, my scheduled day for surgery:

Cross your fingers that the result of initial analysis in the hospital
will show that an additional surgery is not required. In that case I would
reactivate the same project as I did after my last visit to Augsburg Hospital:
Having a delicious bavarian duck on my plate at lake Ammersee. By the way,
look at the poor duck in the water - it just discovered that its brother
didn´t make it.

3 May 2005: Top (good) News from Augsburg Hospital

Result of the initial
analysis: I do not need surgery at present. The nerves are growing - and
the bone problem can wait. For transplants of the nerve there is a window
of 4 months - I just made it! The bone may be fixed much later if it still
refuses to grow. I need to continue my training program and it still may
take over a year to fully recover. Meanwhile I am able to move the hand about 1,5 ".

After these extremely good news I returned home as fast as I could
to have a party. The Ammersee duck is probably just as happy as I am.

By chance I discovered this photo in my newspaper - once I am able to do that with my left arm I`ll be through!!

14 June 2005: The bones are starting to grow together .....

Good news - at lest partly: The bones are starting to grow
together, however the nerves have still not fully recovered. I am now
able to move the hand to appr. 70%, the fingers are still stiff.
May next date in Augsburg Hospital is mid July now.

The right picture is an interesting view of human nerves - you can now
imagine what a heavy damage can do to this complicated structure and
that it takes a lot of time to recover.

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16 July 2005: Final Report

I made it: The new analysis indicated that another surgery is not
required. The nerves are going to recover, a lengthy process of another
6 months! But the pictures below show the great process of my bones,

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I am sick and tired of this subject, therefore I will finish this story
now. Next time I will mention this subject will be when I am back in
the mountains for - believe it or not - SKIING !!